Discovery of Australia by de Quiros in the…

1. I will take my first extracts from the 8th Memorial presented by De Quiros to the Spanish King in 1607, published by Sir Clements Markham. De Quiros thus writes (IL, 478): "The greatness of the land newly discovered, judging from what I saw, and from what the captain, Don Luiz Vaez de Torres, the Admiral under my command, reported to your Majesty, is well established. Its length is as much as all Europe and Asia Minor as far as the Caspian and Persia, with all the islands of the Mediterranean and the ocean which en-compasses, including the two islands of England and Ireland. That hidden part is' one-fourth of the world, and of such capacity that double the kingdoms and provinces of which your Majesty is at present the Lord could fit into it, and this without any neighbourhood of Turks or Moors, or others of the nations which are prone to cause disquiet and unrest on their borders."

He represents the discovered lands to be "antipodal to the greater part of Africa, to all Europe, and to greater Asia. The houses are of wood, roofed with palm leaves. They use pots of clay, weave cloths, and have clothing and mats of reed. They work Stone marble, and make flutes, drums, and spoons of varnished wood." (Sir Clements Markham has stone and marble, but there is no "and" in the original text, p. 480.) "The bread they have is made from three kinds of roots, of which there is great abundance, and they grow without labour, receiving no more help than being dug up and cooked. These roots are pleasant to the taste, very nourishing, and keep for a long time. They are a yard long and half a yard thick. The fruits are numerous and good. There are bananas of six kinds, a great number of almonds of four kinds, great obos, which are of the size and taste of peaches, many earth-nuts, oranges and lemons, which the natives do not eat, and another great fruit; and others not less good that were seen and eaten, as well as many and very large sweet canes. The riches are silver and pearls which I myself saw, and gold which was seen by the other Captain, as he says in his report.They have goats, and there were indications of cows.I declare that all that was seen and has been described is on the sea shore; so that it may be hoped that in the heart of the country such and so great riches will be found as are foreshadowed by what has already been seen. It is to be observed that my chief object was only to seek for the great land that 1 found.The comfort and pleasant life in such a land might be increased by the cultivation of its black, rich soil, by the erection of brick houses, by proper clothing, by working the marble quarries from which sumptuous and elegant edifices could be raised, and a land in which there is an abundance of timber for all sorts of work; where there are sites of plains, valleys and ridges, undulations, high mountains and thickets; and in which there are murmuring streams and springs; where might be erected any number of wind-mills, water-mills, sugar-mills, and other water engines; salt pits and sugar plantations. The sugar-canes, which grow to five or six palms and under, and the fruit in proportion, are witnesses of the richness of the soil. A slender, hard and smooth stone makes as good flints as can be, had in Madrid. The Bay of SS. Philip and James contains 20 leagues (60 miles) of shore, and is quite limpid, and is free to enter by day or night; it is surrounded by a large population; at a very great distance is seen by day much smoke, and at night many fires. The port of Vera Cruz (Holy Cross) is so capacious that it would contain at anchor 1000 ships. Us bottom is clear, and consists of dark sand. The worm that is so destructive to ships was not seen. Ships may be anchored at any depth from 4 to 4 fathoms, midway between two rivers, one of them (the Jordan) as large as the Guadalquivir, in Seville, with a bar of more than two fathoms, which frigates and patamars may cross. Our barques entered the other river freely, and took in fresh water, which is delicious in whatever part, out of the numerous streams there are, The landing place extends for three leagues and more on a strand of black pebbles, small and heavy, which would be very good for ships' ballast. The coast contains neither ruins nor rocks; the herbs on its banks are green; you hear not the sound of the tide; and as the trees are straight and not torn, I conclude there are no great tempests in that land. Moreover, this port, besides being so airy and pleasant, %has another great excellence for recreation, that. from the break of dawn you hear a very great army of warbling birds, some having the appearance of nightingales, larks, goldfinches, 'and an infinity of swallows, parroquets, and a coloured parrot that was seen, besides a great many other birds of different kinds, and the shrill note of the locusts and grasshoppers. At morning and evening the sweetest smells are enjoyed from many kinds of flowers, among which are the orange and lemon blossoms; and I consider that all these and other effects are due to the excellence and regularity of the climate. At this port and bay are many excellent islands, several of which may be especially mentioned which subtend 200 leagues. One of them, about 12 leagues distant, is 50 leagues in circumference, and is very fertile and populous. And in conclusion, Sire, I say that in that bay and port a large and populous city may be built, and the people who will inhabit it may readily enjoy all riches and conveniences which, my small ability does not enable me to set forth. I do not exaggerate if I say that it can maintain and accommodate 200,000 Spaniards."